NEET MDS Lessons
Physiology
Graded Contractions and Muscle Metabolism
The muscle twitch is a single response to a single stimulus. Muscle twitches vary in length according to the type of muscle cells involved. .
Fast twitch muscles such as those which move the eyeball have twitches which reach maximum contraction in 3 to 5 ms (milliseconds). [superior eye] and [lateral eye] These muscles were mentioned earlier as also having small numbers of cells in their motor units for precise control.
The cells in slow twitch muscles like the postural muscles (e.g. back muscles, soleus) have twitches which reach maximum tension in 40 ms or so.
The muscles which exhibit most of our body movements have intermediate twitch lengths of 10 to 20 ms.
The latent period, the period of a few ms encompassing the chemical and physical events preceding actual contraction.
This is not the same as the absolute refractory period, the even briefer period when the sarcolemma is depolarized and cannot be stimulated. The relative refractory period occurs after this when the sarcolemma is briefly hyperpolarized and requires a greater than normal stimulus
Following the latent period is the contraction phase in which the shortening of the sarcomeres and cells occurs. Then comes the relaxation phase, a longer period because it is passive, the result of recoil due to the series elastic elements of the muscle.
We do not use the muscle twitch as part of our normal muscle responses. Instead we use graded contractions, contractions of whole muscles which can vary in terms of their strength and degree of contraction. In fact, even relaxed muscles are constantly being stimulated to produce muscle tone, the minimal graded contraction possible.
Muscles exhibit graded contractions in two ways:
1) Quantal Summation or Recruitment - this refers to increasing the number of cells contracting. This is done experimentally by increasing the voltage used to stimulate a muscle, thus reaching the thresholds of more and more cells. In the human body quantal summation is accomplished by the nervous system, stimulating increasing numbers of cells or motor units to increase the force of contraction.
2) Wave Summation ( frequency summation) and Tetanization- this results from stimulating a muscle cell before it has relaxed from a previous stimulus. This is possible because the contraction and relaxation phases are much longer than the refractory period. This causes the contractions to build on one another producing a wave pattern or, if the stimuli are high frequency, a sustained contraction called tetany or tetanus. (The term tetanus is also used for an illness caused by a bacterial toxin which causes contracture of the skeletal muscles.) This form of tetanus is perfectly normal and in fact is the way you maintain a sustained contraction.
Treppe is not a way muscles exhibit graded contractions. It is a warmup phenomenon in which when muscle cells are initially stimulated when cold, they will exhibit gradually increasing responses until they have warmed up. The phenomenon is due to the increasing efficiency of the ion gates as they are repeatedly stimulated. Treppe can be differentiated from quantal summation because the strength of stimulus remains the same in treppe, but increases in quantal summation
Length-Tension Relationship: Another way in which the tension of a muscle can vary is due to the length-tension relationship. This relationship expresses the characteristic that within about 10% the resting length of the muscle, the tension the muscle exerts is maximum. At lengths above or below this optimum length the tension decreases.
Hormones are carried by the blood throughout the entire body, yet they affect only certain cells. The specific cells that respond to a given hormone have receptor sites for that hormone.
This is sort of a lock and key mechanism. If the key fits the lock, then the door will open. If a hormone fits the receptor site, then there will be an effect. If a hormone and a receptor site do not match, then there is no reaction. All of the cells that have receptor sites for a given hormone make up the target tissue for that hormone. In some cases, the target tissue is localized in a single gland or organ. In other cases, the target tissue is diffuse and scattered throughout the body so that many areas are affected.
Hormones bring about their characteristic effects on target cells by modifying cellular activity. Cells in a target tissue have receptor sites for specific hormones. Receptor sites may be located on the surface of the cell membrane or in the interior of the cell.
In general those protein hormones are unable to diffuse through the cell membrane and react with receptor sites on the surface of the cell. The hormone receptor reaction on the cell membrane activates an enzyme within the membrane, called adenyl cyclase, which diffuses into the cytoplasm. Within the cell, adenyl cyclase catalyzes or starts the process of removal of phosphates from ATP to produce cyclic adenosine monophosphate or c AMP. This c AMP activates enzymes within the cytoplasm that alter or change the cellular activity. The protein hormone, which reacts at the cell membrane, is called the first messenger. c Amp that brings about the action attributed to the hormone is called the second messenger. This type of action is relatively rapid because the precursors are already present and they just needed to be activated in some way.
Conductivity :
Means ability of cardiac muscle to propagate electrical impulses through the entire heart ( from one part of the heart to another) by the excitatory -conductive system of the heart.
Excitatory conductive system of the heart involves:
1. Sinoatrial node ( SA node) : Here the initial impulses start and then conducted to the atria through the anterior inter-atrial pathway ( to the left atrium) , to the atrial muscle mass through the gap junction, and to the Atrioventricular node ( AV node ) through anterior, middle , and posterior inter-nodal pathways.
The average conductive velocity in the atria is 1m/s.
2- AV node : The electrical impulses can not be conducted directly from the atria to the ventricles , because of the fibrous skeleton , which is an electrical isolator , located between the atria and ventricles. So the only conductive way is the AV node . But there is a delay in the conduction occurs in the AV node .
This delay is due to:
- the smaller size of the nodal fiber.
- The less negative resting membrane potential
- fewer gap junctions.
There are three sites for delay:
- In the transitional fibers , that connect inter-nodal pathways with the AV node ( 0.03 ) .
- AV node itself ( 0.09 s) .
- In the penetrating portion of Bundle of Hiss ( 0.04 s) .
This delay actually allows atria to empty blood in ventricles during the cardiac cycle before the beginning of ventricular contraction , as it prevents the ventricles from the pathological high atrial rhythm.
The average velocity of conduction in the AV node is 0.02-0.05 m/s
3- Bundle of Hiss : A continuous with the AV node that passes to the ventricles through the inter-ventricular septum. It is subdivided into : Right and left bundle. The left bundle is also subdivided into two branches: anterior and posterior branches .
4- Purkinje`s fibers: large fibers with velocity of conduction 1.5-4 m/s.
the high velocity of these fibers is due to the abundant gap junctions , and to their nature as very large fibers as well.
The conduction from AV node is a one-way conduction . This prevents the re-entry of cardiac impulses from the ventricles to the atria.
Lastly: The conduction through the ventricular fibers has a velocity of 0.3-0.5 m/s.
Factors , affecting conductivity ( dromotropism) :
I. Positive dromotropic factors :
1. Sympathetic stimulation : it accelerates conduction and decrease AV delay .
2. Mild warming
3. mild hyperkalemia
4. mild ischemia
5. alkalosis
II. Negative dromotropic factors :
1. Parasympathetic stimulation
2. severe warming
3. cooling
4. Severe hyperkalemia
5. hypokalemia
6. Severe ischemia
7. acidosis
8. digitalis drugs.
Pain, Temperature, and Crude Touch and Pressure
General somatic nociceptors, thermoreceptors, and mechanoreceptors sensitive to crude touch and pressure from the face conduct signals to the brainstem over GSA fibers of cranial nerves V, VII, IX, and X.
The afferent fibers involved are processes of monopolar neurons with cell bodies in the semilunar, geniculate, petrosal, and nodose ganglia, respectively.
The central processes of these neurons enter the spinal tract of V, where they descend through the brainstem for a short distance before terminating in the spinal nucleus of V.
Second-order neurons then cross over the opposite side of the brainstem at various levels to enter the ventral trigeminothalamic tract, where they ascend to the VPM of the thalamus.
Finally, third-order neurons project to the "face" area of the cerebral cortex in areas 3, 1, and 2 .
Discriminating Touch and Pressure
Signals are conducted from general somatic mechanoreceptors over GSA fibers of the trigeminal nerve into the principal sensory nucleus of V, located in the middle pons.
Second-order neurons then conduct the signals to the opposite side of the brainstem, where they ascend in the medial lemniscus to the VPM of the thalamus.
Thalamic neurons then project to the "face" region of areas 3, I, and 2 of the cerebral cortex.
Kinesthesia and Subconscious Proprioception
Proprioceptive input from the face is primarily conducted over GSA fibers of the trigeminal nerve.
The peripheral endings of these neurons are the general somatic mechanoreceptors sensitive to both conscious (kinesthetic) and subconscious proprioceptive input.
Their central processes extend from the mesencephalic nucleus to the principal sensory nucleus of V in the pons
The subconscious component is conducted to the cerebellum, while the conscious component travels to the cerebral cortex.
Certain second-order neurons from the principal sensory nucleus relay proprioceptive information concerning subconscious evaluation and integration into the ipsilateral cerebellum.
Other second-order neurons project to the opposite side of the pons and ascend to the VPM of the thalamus as the dorsal trigeminothalamic tract.
Thalamic projections terminate in the face area of the cerebral cortex.
The Types of muscle cells. There are three types, red, white, and intermediate.
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White Fibers Fast twitch Large diameter, used for speed and strength. Depends on the phosphagen system and on glycolysis-lactic acid. Stores glycogen for conversion to glucose. Fewer blood vessels. Little or no myoglobin. |
Red Fibers Slow twitch Small diameter, used for endurance. Depends on aerobic metabolism. Utilize fats as well as glucose. Little glycogen storage. Many blood vessels and much myoglobin give this muscle its reddish appearance. |
Intermediate Fibers: sometimes called "fast twitch red", these fibers have faster action but rely more on aerobic metabolism and have more endurance. Most muscles are mixtures of the different types. Muscle fiber types and their relative abundance cannot be varied by training, although there is some evidence that prior to maturation of the muscular system the emphasis on certain activities can influence their development
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) - controls cell function via transcription and translation (in other words, by controlling protein synthesis in a cell)
Transcription - DNA is used to produce mRNA
Translation - mRNA then moves from the nucleus into the cytoplasm & is used to produce a protein . requires mRNA, tRNA (transfer RNA), amino acids, & a ribosome
tRNA molecule
- sequence of amino acids in a protein is determined by sequence of codons (mRNA). Codons are 'read' by anticodons of tRNAs & tRNAs then 'deliver' their amino acid.
- Amino acids are linked together by peptide bonds (see diagram to the right)
- As mRNA slides through ribosome, codons are exposed in sequence & appropriate amino acids are delivered by tRNAs. The protein (or polypeptide) thus grows in length as more amino acids are delivered.
- The polypeptide chain then 'folds' in various ways to form a complex three-dimensional protein molecule that will serve either as a structural protein or an enzyme.
Regulation of glomerular filtration :
1. Extrinsic regulation :
- Neural regulation : sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system which causes vasoconstriction or vasodilation respectively .
- Humoral regulation : Vasoactive substances may affect the GFR , vasoconstrictive substances like endothelin ,Angiotensin II , Norepinephrine , prostaglandine F2 may constrict the afferent arteriole and thus decrease GFR , while the vasodilative agents like dopamine , NO , ANP , Prostaglandines E2 may dilate the afferent arteriole and thus increase the filtration rate .
2. Intrinsic regulation :
- Myogenic theory ( as in the intrinsic regulation of cardiac output) .
- Tubuloglomerular feedback: occurs by cells of the juxtaglomerular apparatus that is composed of specific cells of the distal tubules when it passes between afferent and efferent arterioles ( macula densa cells ) , these cells sense changes in flow inside the tubules and inform specific cells in the afferent arteriole (granular cells ) , the later secrete vasoactive substances that affect the diameter of the afferent arteriole.